Early morning as I glanced through the newspaper, the headline “ Police takes Al-Quaeda Threats Seriously” caught my attention and I realised that things in our nation are turning worse from bad. We have grown so accustomed to the acts of terrorism happening around us that it doesn’t hit us with an immediate impact anymore. But as I contemplate on the situation, I can feel the underlying irony behind the high sounding words like liberty, freedom and independence.
Here we are on the eve of celebrating the 60th anniversary of Indian independence and the same question bothers me very often. Are we actually liberated? We might be free from the yoke of British rule today but the sense of true freedom still remains incomplete .
On my way to office today, I could feel the tension everywhere. The security checking is getting tighter at all places and the common people are becoming apprehensive and overtly cautious. I have started to get phone calls from family and friends, not to move out of my room tomorrow as its 15th of August and here lies the paradox of the situation. On one hand we are celebrating our Independence Day and on the other hand we don’t even feel free enough to move out in the open air.‘ You never know what might happen where’ as my mom’s words of caution goes!
Let me write about an interesting incident that happened with my colleague today. On his way to office by the Delhi Metro, he dropped his lunch box somewhere near Rajiv Chowk metro station. Unmindful of the fact as he was, we had a hearty laugh about the disconcerting situation that his ‘innocent’ lunch box must have created at the metro station specially one day ahead of Independence Day.
But on a serious note, it really pains to think that this is the true colour of the spirit of independence that we celebrate on August 15 every year!
